Local artists and organizers Anne Shields Hopkins and Joan Lowden, in association with Eastport Arts Center, Eastport Gallery and the Tides Institute & Museum of Art, proudly introduced the Eastport ArtWalk Map on April 24th.
One participant, Italian painter Vittoria Chierici, was scheduled to return to her home bases in New York City and Italy after staying in Eastport through the winter, but was unable to travel due to the pandemic. She has enthusiastically embraced the community and artistic spirit here in Eastport with her ArtWalk window gallery at 106 Water Street, and plans to contribute to Eastport Gallery’s upcoming virtual Community Show.
Chierici discovered Eastport in 2017 after completing a project in Stonington Maine. She fell in love with the ocean view and the light, and continues to return to Eastport, inspired by her desire to connect the beauty and power of nature with people and history. Her Independent Canning piece currently on display in the ArtWalk came from a visit to the Barracks Museum.
Works by Pat Derry are on view at Eastport Breakwater Gallery The Pet Store’s window boasts these great summer (bird) real estate options by Jeff Johnson, The Wood Butcher. Art teacher Sara Myrick’s whimsical and true-to-form upcycled display warms up the window at Eastport Elementary, suggesting both arts and scientific explorations by our young people learning at home. Karen Raye, who documented signage all around the Eastport/Perry area for her ‘Signs of the Time’ display at the Raye’s Mustard store downtown, noted “Putting it all together into one display was somehow cathartic.” Works by Richard VanBuren are on view at the Tides Institute & Museum of Art. Vittoria Chierici’s ‘Independent Canning’ was inspired by Eastport’s Barracks Museum.
The Eastport ArtWalk is a self-guided map showing locations of street level window galleries, both private and business, around town. Walk outside for exercise; enjoy the natural beauty beginning to bloom along with the artworks in windows around town while practicing safe physical distancing of six feet or more. The CDC says that outdoor exercise is a safe and healthful option to maintaining physical and mental health as long as physical distancing guidelines are followed.
Anne Shields Hopkins, Peavey Library Elizabeth Ostrander (on view with other members, featuring Joyce Weber), Eastport Gallery Roland LaVallee, Crow Tracks, 11 Water Street Roland LaVallee, Crow Tracks, 11 Water Street Cathy Moroz, 14 Hawkes Ave. Jim Riccio, Eat Local Eastport, 49 Water Street Dominic Noe, Dastardly Dick’s, 62 Water Street Greg Gordon, Full Fathom Five Gallery, 66 Water Street Elizabeth Zierke, 3 South Street Lora Whelan, The Quoddy Tides, 123 Water Street Anne Shields Hopkins, 3 Brighton Ave. Anne Grant Stanley, 45 Washington Street
Joan Lowden, 175 Water Street View from inside, gallery test phase, Mary Anderson Mary Anderson, Lauren Koss and Sue Riddle, 126 Water Street
The map is available below, and will be continuously updated as more window galleries are added. You can also follow this project on Facebook at EastportArtWalk.
We also invite private homes and businesses with street level visual access to become window galleries. Visit the Facebook page or contact joan@basslady.com for more information.
Don Dunbar,
Eastern Maine ImagesBack Parlor Yarn Lovers WSHD DJs, Old Sow Grill Dominic Noe & Manuela Brice, Dastardly Dick’s
Scroll on to view the map, or download a printable PDF map here.
The work of Eastport Arts Center is funded in part by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.